Nebraska AG, Governor Back 2 Kids' Privacy Bills
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) expects bipartisan support for various forthcoming kids’ tech safety bills, including one requiring age verification for social media and implementing an age-appropriate design code. The governor and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) announced support for those and two other kids’ safety bills at a livestreamed news conference Monday.
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"Parents must approve a minor's access to ensure transparency and privacy protection,” said state Sen. Tanya Storer (R) on her bill to require reasonable age verification on social media. Kids under 18 would need parental consent to have accounts. Businesses could face $2,500 per violation, she said.
Pillen and Hilgers also backed a bill by Sen. Carolyn Bosn (R) similar to California’s age-appropriate design code law. “It is important to consider the privacy and protection of children in the design of digital products and services that children are likely to access,” said Bosn. “Algorithms shouldn't track children."
The bills "absolutely are lawful,” said Hilgers. While acknowledging some “challenges on the margins” to similar proposals in other states, the AG said he hasn’t “seen any challenge to these types of laws that has been successful."